


Holiday guests

by My_Evak_Heart



Category: Supernatural
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:41:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26225095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/My_Evak_Heart/pseuds/My_Evak_Heart
Summary: After two years of skipping the annual family Christmas celebrations, Sam show up on his father's doorstep with a red haired girl by his side
Relationships: Dean Winchester/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 4





	1. Ghost from the past

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me (and this fic) on tumblr at @winchester-purgatory.tumblr.com

**_Lawrence, Kansas 2007_ **

**Saturday, December 22nd**

This year, instead of snobbing his family and staying in California, Sam took a bus to Lawrence to spend the holidays with his family. It was the first time since he left the nest that he'd spend Christmas with his dad and Dean and they had both been surprised when the younger Winchester had told them the big news.

Little did they know, Sam had brought them a surprise guest.

''Dad? It's me,'' Sam announced, letting himself in after a cab had dropped them off at the Winchester household. 

The floor of the hallway creaked and, there entered John, wearing his usual winter attire: a red lumberjack jacket with a sweater underneath. He grinned when seeing his son, snowflakes perling on his shoulders and hair.

''Sammy? It's so good to have you ba-'' John stopped himself, eyes landing on the redhead standing behind Sam. '' _Oh_ , you didn't tell me you'd bring a guest...'' he said awkwardly, not liking being on uncharted territory. 

It was the first time Sam ever brought a girl home and John didn't know how to react. He had always been so focussed on his academics - even during his adolescence - and, by consequence, never showed a strong interest in girls - unlike Dean.

Sam scoffed. ''I didn't know I needed to _ask_.''

''It's not that,'' John immediately corrected.He turned to the redhead and forced a smile. ''She's very welcomed. It's just...you've never told me you had a girlfriend. I'm surprised. _Good_ surprised!''

''You don't call often, not to say at all, so I don't know how I could've told you.''

Sensing the tension between the two Winchester, Sam’s guest extended her hand in John's direction, breaking the interaction. ''Hi. I'm Juliet. Nice to meet you.''

.

To celebrate Sam's big return, John had gone all out with the Christmas decorations. He chopped a tree from the woods and hung some ornaments that the brothers - mostly Sam - had handcrafted at school in their younger years. They weren't the prettiest, but it worked. The tree didn't have lights and Dean had proudly pointed out his dad's mistake _after_ he had finished the tree.

Now, they have to deal with a quite dark and dull looking tree.

It was past four when Dean came home from the auto-shop. He untied his boots and pulled his eyebrows when seeing a fourth pair of boots lining the wall. He recognized his Dad's, Bobby's and what he assumed were Sam's, but the last one were much smaller and not at all Sam's style. 

Whose boots were they?

He hung his jacket on a hook and followed the voices that led to the living, where everyone was seated. Bobby was seated in the rocking-chair, his dad in the armchair and Sam on the couch with...Juliet.

'' _What the hell_.’’

It wasn't that Dean wasn't happy to see Juliet sitting beside Sam, he just wished he had been given a warning. Her fire hair was pulled into a ponytail, the red making a stark contrast against the white of her sweater.

Juliet glanced up at the sound of his voice, a small smile forming on her full lips. ''Hello, Dean. Good to see you again.''

The sound of her voice caused Dean to still and crisp slightly in the living's entrance. What was she doing here?

Beer in his left hand, Bobby glanced between them, confused. ''You know each other?''

''Yeah,'' Dean replied briefly, clearing his throat. ''Erm...Sammy. Can we talk for a minute?'' He pointed in the direction of the kitchen with his eyes and Sam stood, nodding.


	2. Empty beer bottles

''What is  _ she _ doing here?'' Dean asked, keeping his voice hushed, knowing that the kitchen walls weren't soundproof. It's an old house, what did you expect? 

The elder brother was trying to keep his calm and not scream at Sam knowing that if any of them were to raise their voice,  _ everyone _ in the living room would hear. And Dean didn't fancy that. Beside Sam - and Juliet, of course -, no one knew the two had a thing together years ago, and Dean had planned on keeping it that way. It was none of their dad's business - and even less Bobby's.

'’She was going to spend the holiday by herself in her dorm, I couldn’t leave her there. She’s had a rough year, Dean. Our family might not have the best Christmas spirit, but I figured it would be better than being alone for the holidays,’’ Sam explained, staying brief and excluding the details.

Bringing Juliet to Lawrence wasn't the idea of the century, Sam will admit, but what else could he do? 

''So, you brought her here?'' Dean snickered, flashing a mocking smile at his brother. ''You know Dad is going to think she's your  _ girlfriend _ , right?''

Sam awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. ''He already thinks that...''

Dean smiled smugly. ''How are you planning on going through with that lie? You two can barely exchange three sentences before getting into an argument.''

Sam narrowed his eyes at his older brother, not admitting that he was right. ‘’Shut up.’’ 

.

‘’-cook the turkey without thawing it. When I went to take a bite of the turkey, I almost lost a tooth! The damn thing was still frozen.’’ 

Juliet laughed at Bobby’s anecdote about the Winchesters’ past holidays. It was...entertaining, to say the least. Especially the ones about a young Dean’s first attempts at doing mechanics. One time, he removed pieces from John’s car to ‘repair’ it and wasn’t capable of putting them back, Bobby had told. John was furious.

As she listened to him, she quickly learned that, although Bobby wasn’t blood related, he was family. The bearded man was present at all their family dinners and on - almost - all the family pictures. 

‘’Well, I can assure you that Sam didn’t take after his father for his cooking skills,’’ Juliet said, taking a swig of her beer. 

‘’Lucky one! Dean, on the other hand, inherited of his dad’s skills…’’ Bobby scrunched his face, causing the redhead to laugh even more. ‘’Never let this idjit serve you anything. He’ll  _ poison _ you.’’

‘’Hey! I heard that!’’ Dean said, entering the dining area with a new pack of beer. ‘’No beer for you,’’ he threatened the man, while setting the beers on the table. 

Bobby laughed, making a show of grabbing another beer under the blond’s watchful eye. Dean rolled his eyes at his uncle’s behavior and took one for himself, plucking it from the back before taking a seat beside Juliet, adjacent to Bobby. He took a long swig and the redhead bit her lip, feeling Dean’s presence so close. 

Sam and John chose their moment to return, the former taking a seat in front of Juliet, giving her a quiet sign, asking if she was okay. As expected, Juliet’s impromptu presence for the Winchesters’ Christmas celebrations hadn’t sucited a good reaction from everyone. Especially with Dean. Sam felt bad for leaving her with Bobby while he was helping his father clean up dinner, but she smiled and nodded, assuring him that everything was okay. 

‘’What are you guys talking about?’’John asked, sitting beside his best friend.

‘’Your failures at cooking,’’ Bobby responded with a mischievous smile. 

John groaned. ‘’Come on, Bobby. I’m not  _ that _ bad-’’

‘’Tell that to the tooth I almost lost!’’ 

.

Beer bottles knocked together as Dean tried to forcefully fit them into the box outside. He should take them to the store tomorrow because there was no way they were going to fit the Christmas empties in this very box. It was already overflowing.

''What are you doing out here?'' Juliet asked, closing the door behind her. The snow crunched underneath her boots as she walked over to Dean. 

''Tidying,'' he responded, squeezing his last empty bottle in.  _ Victory _ ! ''I gotta bring this box to my truck so I can exchange them tomorrow.'' 

‘’Need a hand?’’ 

Dean scoffed amusedly. ‘’You sure you can lift that? There's over twenty bottles in it.’’ 

The redhead rolled her eyes and stepped forward, coming into Dean's sight line confidently. ‘’Still as sexist as you were two years ago, Winchester.’’ She bent to lift the box, causing her sweater riding up in the back and Dean had to force himself to look away. ‘’Okay. Maybe I can’t. Not tonight, at least. The beers are starting to kick in.’’ Juliet giggled, her flushed cheeks matching her lips.

''You're drunk already?'' Dean asked, slightly mocking. ''Can't hold your alcohol I see...'' 

Juliet looked up at Dean, her pale cheeks now red from the cold air. ''I'm not drunk. I didn't say that. I'm just... _ tipsy _ .'' 

Dean snickered. ‘’Sure you are.'' He shook his head, picking up the box, about to head to his truck, but stopped, glancing at Juliet who was shivering in her corner. ''You should head back inside. It's cold out.'' 

Before she could say anything, the door opened behind them, breaking their intimacy. Sam poked his head out, furrowing his eyebrows when seeing Juliet outside, lips curling from catching Dean near. ‘’I was heading to bed. You coming?’’ 

Juliet nodded, following the younger Winchester inside. ‘’Night, Dean,’’ she said, looking over her shoulder. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Sunday, December 23rd**

Waking up to the smell of breakfast - eggs and bacon, to be precise - was unusual for Dean. 

When they were kids, John would make efforts to cook his sons breakfast, either toasts or cereals, but now that his boys were grown ups, he didn’t bother trying. So, if Dean wanted breakfast, he’d have to prepare it himself. Most of the days, it resulted in a large cup of coffee. 

Expecting to see Sam behind the stove, cooking some disgustingly healthy breakfast, the blond was met by a much shorter and red-er haired lady. She was taking a sip from her coffee while watching the sizzling eggs in the pan.

Dean’s lips curved a bit, memories rolling in. The scene reminded him of when they first met at Sam’s tiny apartment in Palo Alto. He had crashed on his brother’s couch and woke up to the redhead shattering a plate on Sam’s floor. Her long ginger hair and bare legs peeking from the oversized tee shirt will forever be engraved in Dean’s memory. She was a sight for sore eyes. 

‘’Morning,’’ Dean said, breaking the silence.

Juliet jumped, startled by his hoarse morning voice. She turned around and pulled her eyebrows. ‘’Dean? What are you doing up before eleven? Did you become a morning person?’’ 

He huffed a laugh, walking further into the kitchen. ‘’Work,’’ the blond explained. ‘’Did you make coffee?’’ 

Juliet nodded. ‘’Help yourself. I’m making eggs. Want some?’’ 

As tempting as Juliet’s offer was, Dean had to decline. That breakfast smelled delicious though… And, there was  _ bacon _ \- Dean’s favorite beside pie - waiting to be cooked on the counter. 

‘’Wish I could say yes, but I need to leave in five minutes.’’

‘’Wait, we’re Sunday?’’ the redhead realized, a frown between her eyebrows. ‘’You work on a Sunday?’’

‘’Yeah. The auto shop is closed, but I do towing on the weekends. Someone has to go and help those idiots who can’t handle the snow and slippery roads and got themselves stuck in a snow bank or the roadside.’’ 

Juliet chuckled. ‘’I agree.’’ 

Dean brought the hot cup of coffee to his lips and hummed. ‘’ _ Damn _ , this coffee is good. Like, better than usual. What did you do to it?’’ 

‘’Ah! That’s a secret for me to keep,’’ she replied, a grin on her lips before returning to the stove, placing some eggs on a plate for herself. 

Dean watched her as she moved around the kitchen. God, she was so beautiful. After not seeing her in two years, he had almost forgotten how much of a natural beauty Juliet was. From where he was, he could see the freckles on her cheeks and nose, and the scar above her cheekbone. It was lighter than it used to be, faded from time. 

‘’Well, I should get going.’’ 

‘’See you tonight, Dean.’’ 

.

Helping idiots out of snow banks and hoisting them on the towing was exhausting. Especially in winter. But, the more exhausting part wasn't the towing though, it was the owners of the towed car and that Dean had to take with him. Most were annoying and overly talkative - which quickly got on Dean's nerves. He was tempted more than once to dump them on the side of the road, but he'd get fired for it. 

His first client was a middle aged woman who didn't have winter tires on her car. When Dean arrived on the scene and realized that, he wasn't surprised that she slipped on black ice and hit the road's borders. It's the middle of December and snowing like crazy. How can you expect to have full control of your car during a heavy snow and icy roads without winter tires? Idiots' logic like her made no sense to Dean. He has helped so many idiots of the same genre since the start of winter that he stopped counting. 

For his second client, Dean was lucky and fell on someone he got along pretty well. The man had accidently hit a wild animal on his way home and, although the animal had run away, uninjured, the car's engine wouldn't start back on after the hit.

''It's an old car. I'm not surprised,'' the man, Benny, said as Dean turned on the towing truck, ready to leave the scene. ''It's not the first time it happens. Not that I purposely hit wild animals. They just love my car, I guess.'' 

''This road is prone to that. My dad used to be a ranger and he would get calls all the time to say deers were on the road,’’ Dean explained. 

''You're from around here?'' 

Dean nodded. ''Lawrence, Kansas, born and raised, baby.'' He flashed Benny a proud smile. ‘’And you?’’ 

‘’I just moved her three months ago. I’m originally from San Jose.’’

‘’San Jose?’’ the blond repeated. ‘’Wow. That’s quite a big change of scenery.’’ 

‘’Yeah… My wife and I needed some change. We found a small house we liked in Lawrence and bought it on a whim. Most will say it’s kinda crazy, but it’s gonna be perfect to raise kids.’’ 

The conversation carried on as Dean drove, sharing his knowledge on the best burger places in town and where to not get beer after a long week of work. It was very important information for new-comers.

A familiar tunes came on the radio and Dean’s hands crisped on the steering wheel, trying to wash away the incoming flashback of him and Juliet singing to this exact song in his car during his stay in Palo Alto. Her sparkling eyes and red hair flowing from the wind and speed the car was going at. 

He reached to turn it off, making his passenger raise an eyebrow.

''You're not a fan of classic rock?'' Benny asked.

Dean shook his head. ‘’I do. Just...old memories.’’ 

The elder man hummed. ‘’Past girlfriend, I’m guessing.’’

Dean flashed him a tight lipped smile. ‘’We can say that.’’

.

For dinner, John asked Dean to pick up burgers on the way home. What screamed more Winchester tradition than a good old burger for dinner? Add a beer and you have the  _ perfect  _ combo. 

‘’The food is here!’’ Dean called as he walked in, carrying a brown paper bag holding everyone’s orders. 

He shrugged off his winter layers and dove into the bag to grab his burger, taking a bite before even sitting down. He hummed, chewing his bite.

Sam came around to the table, Juliet following behind. ‘’Nice of you to wait for us.’’ 

Dean shrugged, unbothered. ‘’I was too hungry. I’ve been working all day, unlike you.’’

Sam rolled his eyes and sat down. ‘’Can you pass the bag, please?’’ Dean handed it to his brother but moved it away before Sam could grab it, laughing at his own childish behavior. Sam rolled his eyes. ‘’ _ Dean _ .’’ 

‘’Where's Dad?’’ Dean asked, not seeing him around. 

‘’He went to Bobby’s. He should be back soon,’’ Sam replied. 

Dean hummed and reached into the bag. ‘’For the ladies,’’ he said, handing the last two burgers to Juliet and Sam. 

Juliet took the burger from him. ‘’Thank you.’’

Dean smiled at her and pulled out his side of fry, frowning when he saw a lonely salad at the bottom. ‘’A salad? Who ordered a salad?’’ 

‘’Me,’’ Sam replied, this time taking the bag from his brother. ‘’You should try it some time. I’m sure it’ll be better for your cholesterol.’’ 

Dean scoffed, taking a couple fries and shoving them into his mouth. ‘’Salad is rabbit food. And, for your concerns, my cholesterol is just fine.’’ 

Juliet held her laugh, amused by the brothers' antics, and reached over the table and stole a fry from Dean. 

.

It was almost midnight when Dean left his bedroom for a late snack, the burger and fries he had for dinner long gone from his stomach, to satisfy his late hunger before bed. 

He walked down the hallway, thinking about the cereal bowl he was about to eat, and stopped in his tracks when he saw a figure in the living room. At first, he assumed it was his dad who had fallen asleep in his lazy-boy chair, but the quiet sobs told Dean it wasn’t John.

‘’Juliet?’’ 

‘’Fuck. Can’t you knock?’’ she hissed, turning her back from Dean.

‘’Sorry. I was on my way to get a snack and I- You okay?’’ He knew it was a stupid question to ask - she obviously was not okay -, but he had to ask. Give her an open door, in case she felt like talking.

‘’I’m crying in my best friend’s living room in the middle of the night, what do you think?’’ She shook her head. ''I'm not okay. I'm pretty far from okay.''

Just her luck, Dean wasn’t good with emotions and feelings. He's  _ never _ been. He’s not good at comforting people either - the two go hand in hand -, but he couldn't let Juliet bath in her sadness. Seeing her cry like that was painful to watch. 

Dean sat on the couch beside her, her quiet sobs tugging at his heart. ''Wanna talk about it?'' he offered tentatively. Maybe he won't know what to say to make her feel better, but he could always listen. 

''You remember Damien?''

The elder Winchester tensed at the mention of Juliet's asshole ex-boyfriend. 

''Well, I lied. Partially. I  _ did _ break up with him, but he came to the café last week and caused a scene. He started yelling and-'' 

''Did he touch you?'' Dean interrupted, feeling his blood boil at the mere idea of this guy's dirty hands on Juliet. Damien had hurt her in the past, he certainly could do it again. Dean remembered the colorful bruise on her cheek when he visited Sam a couple years ago. It wasn't pretty.

She shook her head. 

Dean sighed in relief.  _ Good thing _ .

''Ben, a guy from the kitchen, got him to leave - bless him -, but I knew it wasn't over. It never is with Damien. After my shift at the café, I was too scared to go home and be by myself. I kept asking myself: what if he came here, you know? So, I went to Sam's. I've been staying at his place since that night. I didn't tell Sam what happened, he still doesn't know and I don't plan on telling him about the café incident. You know him, he'll want me to get a restraining order against Damien.'' 

‘’Wouldn’t be a good thing? A restraining order?’’

Juliet scoffed. ‘’It wouldn’t serve anything. It’s Damien. He doesn't care about laws and that kind of stuff. A piece of paper won’t keep him away from me. He’ll _ always _ find a way.’’ 

Dean had to fight the envy to go to California and kick his ass. Maybe then he’ll finally get the message and leave Juliet alone.

‘’I got a text from him today. Minutes ago, actually. He trashed my whole apartment. My landlord is going to kill me. I’m going to have to pay for all the damages fees. I’m going to have to find a new place too which is going to be difficult because they are going to call my old landlord and he’s gonna give me a bad note.’’

‘’Why don’t you stay with my brother a bit longer?’’ 

Juliet shook her head. ‘’I can’t invade his space forever. And, in case you forgot, Sam’s apartment is  _ tiny _ .’’

He’ll give her that. There was just enough for a bed, couch and desk in that apartment. It’s  _ so  _ cramped. Two people couldn’t cohabit there, especially with Sam’s tall frame.

‘’I don’t know what I’m going to do. I-’’ 

Juliet’s tears started flowing again and, this time, Dean pulled the redhead into him. For a moment, he thought he did a wrong move, that maybe he shouldn’t have done that, but Juliet responded instantly, wrapping her arm around his neck as his large hands rubbed up and down her back. 

She cried into Dean’s chest, soaking his shirt, and Dean held her tighter, hating to see Juliet crying because of that guy. It wasn't the first time Dean confronted her following something Damien did. 

After a few minutes, Juliet's tears slowed down and she pulled away from Dean, noticing the huge stain on his grey shirt. ''Sorry. I ruined your shirt...'' she pointed, wiping the remaining tears on her face with the back of her hands. 

Dean shook his head. Fuck his shirt. It's just tears. ''Don't worry about it. It's just a shirt.'' 

‘’I’m such an idiot. This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have taken him back in the first place-’’

‘’Hey. You’re not an idiot, okay? You take dumb decisions, it’s all.’’ 

Juliet chuckled slightly, allowing herself to be distracted from her issues for a few seconds. ‘’I go home in three days. What am I gonna do? I wish Charlie was here…’’ 

‘’Let’s go for a ride.’’

Juliet looked at him as if he was crazy. ‘’It’s past midnight in the middle of winter. We  _ can’t  _ just go for a ride, Dean.’’

The latter shrugged, seeing no problems. ‘’So? Put on your boots and jacket and let’s go. Snow’s not gonna eat us, you now?’’

‘’I don’t know… It’s snowing a lot and the roads must be icy.’’

‘’We’ll take the truck if it makes you feel safer. Come on.’’ Dean nodded his head in the direction of the door.

‘’Driving around always helps me clear my head,’’ the blond explained. ‘’We can even stop for a midnight snack if there’s anything open on our way.’’ 

.

Still in their pajamas, Dean drove around Lawrence, soft rock music playing as Juliet watching the large snowflakes sticking to the truck's window. A bag of half finished chips rested on her lap, munching on it every now and then.  Sometimes, she'd hum to the music, making Dean smile and wish the Damien drama had never happened. If it hadn't been from him, maybe he and Juliet would be together. Instead, he had to pick up the mess Damien made and comfort the beautiful girl he wasn't able to love properly. 

‘’Juliet?’’ She turned and looked up at Dean. ''I think that if you love someone, you should never hurt them. Simple as that. But some people just can't get this right.''


	4. Chapter 4

**Monday, December 24th**

In the morning, Sam was confused. He sensed a different vibe between Juliet and his brother and the tall Winchester was unsure if it was a good or a bad thing. Dean was no longer keeping a meter distance between them and he even smiled at Juliet when she handed him a cup of coffee. It was quite a change from the Dean’s initial reaction to Juliet’s impromptu presence.

A part of Sam wanted to believe that the Christmas Eve spirit was behind this and Dean had decided to be nicer to Juliet, but there had to be  _ more _ . 

‘’I made extra bacon for you, it’ll be ready in five minutes,’’ Juliet informed, flipping eggs in the pan. 

Dean grinned, mouth watering at the thought of crispy bacon. ‘’Ah, you know the way to my heart.’’ He took a sip of his coffee and joined Sam at the table - which was already set and awaiting. 

Sam watched as Dean sat and glanced up at his brother, trying to get his attention. ‘’Did you two…erm, _ you know _ .’’ Sam cleared his voice before moving his eyes in Juliet’s direction and back to Dean, hoping Dean would get the hint. 

Despite living miles apart and seeing each other less than two times a year, Dean didn’t seem to have forgotten how much of a linguistic prude his little brother was. At 24, Sam was still incapable of saying  _ sex _ \- or talk about anything sex related. It’s almost a miracle that he was no longer a virgin! Sadly for him, Dean knew to take this to his advantage and never missed a chance of teasing his brother.

‘’Did we....what?’’ Dean said back with a knowing smirk. 

Sam narrowed his eyes in annoyance, knowing Dean was playing dumb on purpose. ‘’ _ Dean _ .’’ 

Dean shrugged, taking a sip of his coffee. ‘’What? I can’t read minds, Sammy.’’ 

‘’Something happened between you and her last night, I can tell. In case it’s what I think it is, please be careful with her. Don’t be a dick and play with her feelings. She...she hasn’t had it easy lately.’’

Shaking his head, Dean decided to put Sam out of his misery. ‘’Relax. Nothing happened. We just went for a late night ride. But, in case something had happened, I know how to take care of a woman.’’ Dean winked at Sam, making the latter grimace. 

‘’Gross. It’s too early for that kind of talk.’’

‘’You’re the one who brought it up.’’ 

The front door opened and shut, Bobby’s voice filling the house. ‘’Smells good in here! Who's behind the stove? Certainly not Dean.’’ Bobby laughed at his own joke and Juliet joined in.

‘’Would you like eggs and bacon, Bobby?’’ the redhead offered to the old man. 

At the kitchen counter, Juliet slipped two eggs with toasts on a plate and a large side of bacon for Dean and an extra piece of toast for Sam, not as much a fan of greasy bacon. She cracked more eggs in the pan and warned the boys that their plates were ready. 

The brothers went and grabbed their plates as John and him arrived at the table, snow dusting their heads. 

‘’Why not. I’ve already had breakfast, but I still have room for more.’’ Bobby took a seat next to Sam and nudged him. ‘’You gotta marry this girl, Sam. She's a keeper!’’

Instead of responding, Sam just smiled. _ If only they knew... _

.

Juliet sat in the living room, flipping through channels to find some holiday movie to watch. It was a tradition in the Bradburry family and she didn’t want to skip it despite not being in their company. 

‘’I think I found National Lampoon’s Christmas vacation,’’ Juliet called out to Sam who was in the kitchen, fixing them hot spiked chocolates. 

‘’Did you?’’ Dean said, coming from behind her and making the redhead jump and almost drop the remote. 

Juliet turned around and smiled, chuckling. ‘’You scared me.’’ 

''Sorry.''

‘’Are you watching the movie with Sam and I?’’ 

‘’No. I’m heading out to see a friend in town.’’ 

She pulled her eyebrows. ‘’On Christmas Eve?’’

Dean shrugged.  He grabbed his lumberjack style jacket and slipped it on as Juliet watched, chewing down on her bottom lip. She glanced at the kitchen, seeing Sam pour hot chocolate into mugs, and back to Dean who was about to leave. 

‘’Dean,’’ Juliet said, stopping him. ‘’Thank you for last night. For listening and holding me- It was nice to go on a drive together. I had a good time.’’ 

There was so much more that she wanted to tell him, but Sam was about to return to the living room. 

Dean flashed her a tight lipped smile and Sam chose this moment to return, two mugs of hot chocolate in hands. ''Here comes the Grinch!'' Juliet pulled her eyebrows in confusion and Dean pressed himself to explain. ''Sam  _ hates _ holidays. I’m surprise you got him to watch a Christmas movie with you.''

''That's not true...'' the taller one debated, coming to sit on the couch and setting the mugs down on the coffee table.

''Well, you hate Halloween, you hate Christmas-'' 

''I don't  _ hate _ Christmas. I just...gave up on Christmas,'' Sam corrected, alluding to some less than memorable past Christmases. 

Both boys sensed Juliet’s heart break. ''Why? Christmas is awesome!’’ A wide grin broke on her face, stars filling her green eyes at the mere thought of the winter holiday. ‘’Charlie and I used to get those ornaments with superhero characters for the Christmas tree, but our Mom said they ruined the festive theme and forbid us to put them on the tree. We had to hide them to the back. I’m pretty sure Dad saw them, but he never snitched on us to Mom.’’ 

Unlike the two brothers, Juliet seemed to have great memories related to Christmas. Especially with Charlie. For Sam and Dean, their Christmases consisted of late nights at Bobby’s and a drunk John accidently catching the Christmas tree on fire with a cigarette. Lucky for them, Dean was old enough to get the gist of a fire extinguisher or they would’ve all died in the fire. 

''Let’s say our Christmases weren't the greatest,’’ Dean admitted, backing his brother on that one. He cleared his throat, not wanting to dive deeper into the subject. ‘’Well, I gotta go. See you later.’’ 

.

A late knock on his door pulled Dean from his thoughts. He had gotten home a little under an hour ago and was now chilling in his bed, still feeling the warmth from the last glass of whiskey he had. The handle twisted open and Juliet poked her head in. She was wearing plaid pajama pants and a tank top, making Dean wonder how she wasn’t cold in this badly insulated house. 

''Can I come in?'' 

Dean nodded and Juliet stepped in, closing his door behind. She looked around, shaking her head at the collection of flannels hanging out of the dresser, messily folded - if you could call that folded. She noticed a picture of Dean, Sam and Bobby on the same dresser and an old one with whom Juliet assumed to be Mary, his mother. There was none of John, but figured maybe he was the one taking the pictures. 

He watched as she stood there, examining his bedroom, making Dean’s privacy feel invaded. He hadn’t had a girl in here since high school ended, not liking to have people in his business or trying to get into his life. It was easier to go to girls’ houses. He could leave when it was over and not have to worry about waking up with a stranger in his bed. 

This, however, was different. It  _ felt  _ different. 

‘’You good?’’ Dean asked, breaking the silence. 

The redhead nodded curtly, still exploring. ‘’It’s different.’’

Dean frowned, confused. ‘’What?’’ 

‘’Your room. I didn’t imagine it to be like that,’’ she explained, picking up an old little cowboy toy from the desk. ‘’It’s cool though. Resembles you.’’ 

‘’I don’t play with those anymore, if you’re wondering.’’

Juliet smiled, a small laugh escaping her lips. She put the toy back on the desk and turned around, facing Dean. ‘’Dean.’’ 

Dean thought she’d go on and continue, but she didn’t. He felt her hesitation and uneasiness, sensing that she had something serious to say instinctively making Dean sit straighter on the bed. 

Juliet opened her mouth again, but closed it. 

‘’Hey… Take your time,’’ he encouraged, his voice soft and calm. ‘’It’s not like I have anything else on the planning for tonight.’’ 

A soft chuckled left her lips, nervousness spilling out. Juliet glanced at Dean one last time and took the jump. ‘’I...I haven't been fully honest with you.’’ She paused, biting down her lip, her green eyes avoiding Dean’s gaze, knowing she’ll chicken out if she did. ‘’The reason I accepted to come here wasn't just because of Charlie’s absence or Damien. Yes, I wanted to be away from him, but I also came here because I knew you’d be here.’’ 

‘’Well, I  _ live _ here,’’ Dean stated, but Juliet narrowed her eyes at him and he stopped making fun of her.

Juliet sat on the bed, taking a deep breath. She knew that Dean didn’t like to talk about feelings and getting deep, but it was now or never. She and Sam were going back to California in two days and she couldn’t go back without telling Dean how she felt. 

‘’What I mean is that I came here because I was hoping you still cared about me, that I...still had a chance with you.''

Her voice died down and Dean became uncomfortable, shifting on the bed. Her confession took him by surprise and Dean didn’t know what to do with it nor how to process it. A part of him was on the moon that she wanted to be with him, that she came all the way to fucking Kansas for him, but another was hesitant. Dean never got his heart broken by a girl, but Juliet had caused some emotional damage when she chose Damien over him and Dean wasn’t sure if he wanted to go through that again.

Dean cleared his throat, green eyes wandering around, looking at anywhere but the redhead. ‘’It’s late, I think you’re drunk. You should go to bed.’’

‘’I had  _ one _ beer. I’m perfectly lucid, Winchester-’’ Juliet paused, the sudden irritation transforming into a lump in her throat when realizing that maybe this was Dean’s way of telling her he wasn’t interested without hurting her feelings.  _ It was too late _ .  _ He didn’t love her anymore. _ Tears welled up in her eyes, feeling her heart breaking, losing all hopes. ‘’I get it. I’m gonna go-’’

Just as she was about to twist the handle and leave, closing the door on the chapter that was Dean Winchester, the blond changed his mind. 

‘’No. Stay. Please  _ stay _ .’’ 

Hand frozen on the door handle, Juliet's heart stopped for a brief second, her breath catching in her throat. She heard the mattress creak as Dean got up, feet sliding on the old wooden floor, diminishing the distance between them. He stood behind her, his hot breath hitting her bare shoulder causing her to shiver and close her eyes. 

''Juliet-''

She didn't let him finish his sentence, turning around and kissing him, tasting the faint taste of alcohol on his lips and tongue. Dean cupped Juliet's face and grabbed her by the hip, pulling the redhead closer as her hand curled into the collar of his tee shirt, wanting more. 

Unlike cheesy movies, butterflies wouldn't be what Juliet would use to describe the feeling in her stomach when she and Dean's lips touched for the first time in months, it was  _ hunger _ . And, according to the way he was kissing her back and touching her, it was the same for Dean. 

To them, this kiss meant more than rekindling their flame after some late night confessions between two past lovers. They were satisfying the craving they both had since Dean left Palo Alto, the same craving that's been intensified when their eyes crossed two days ago in the Winchesters' living room.


End file.
